Sanborn Lake
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11036100
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Sanborn Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (2,100 fish).
- Sanborn Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 9,541 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 48 ft; surface area 220 acres, 84 littoral acres, 2.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 15.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Cass County, nearest town Backus; DNR lake number (DOW) 11036100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,100 | 84.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,134 | 84.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 343 | 59.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,016 | 84.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,948 | 84.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| CA | - | Old public access on southeast shore - Large boulders placed along township road to prevent boat trailer access. Use primarily as a swiming area |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | north end of lake off of Hwy 87 |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMS | 15-ft beach seine | 835.00 | 835 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 15-ft beach seine | 58.00 | 58 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | 15-ft beach seine | 56.00 | 56 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 5.00 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | 15-ft beach seine | 1.00 | 1 | 0.00 |
| MMS | 50-ft beach seine | 526.11 | 4,735 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 72.00 | 648 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | 50-ft beach seine | 29.11 | 262 | 0.00 |
| BCS | 50-ft beach seine | 13.44 | 121 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 9.67 | 87 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 4.00 | 36 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | 50-ft beach seine | 1.78 | 16 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 1.11 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | Backpack electrofishing | 62.81 | 67 | 0.00 |
| MMS | Backpack electrofishing | 34.69 | 37 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 33.75 | 36 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 12.19 | 13 | 0.00 |
| Yellow bullhead | Backpack electrofishing | 2.81 | 3 | 0.00 |
| BCS | Backpack electrofishing | 2.81 | 3 | 0.00 |
| BKF | Backpack electrofishing | 2.81 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Rock bass | Backpack electrofishing | 1.88 | 2 | 0.00 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Sanborn Lake was conducted on July 21, 2022 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample nine stations, and a 15-foot seine was used to sample one station. Nearshore sampling captured 13 species of fish including six species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance. The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a June 2022 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicates Sanborn Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score, well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Pine River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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